Vast offers Renesas SH2A virtual processor model

SAN FRANCISCO — Virtual system prototyping technology provider Vast Systems Technology Corp. Tuesday (April 18) announced the availability of a virtual processor model of the SH2A CPU core from Japan's Renesas Technology Corp.

The Vast SH2AVPM was created as part of the Vast Universe program, an initiative from Vast and semiconductor suppliers, to develop and deliver a high-speed, cycle-accurate software model of a system-on-chip (SoC) that enables full software development well in advance of actual first silicon, according to Vast (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

Vast said it worked closely with Renesas in the development and verification of the model, which the company says executes at speeds of up to 165 MIPS on Vast's standard benchmarking platform and test suite. This model, in conjunction with device peripheral models and Vast's virtual system prototyping tools, provides a complete environment for architectural exploration and early software development, Vast said.

"The automotive industry is experiencing significant growth in vehicle electronics and software content," said Alain Labat, Vast president and CEO, in a statement. "The work that Vast has done with Renesas, a leading automotive semiconductor supplier, shows our commitment to partnering to deliver advanced solutions for our mutual customers."

The Renesas SH2A core is a superscalar embedded core for automotive powertrain and digital audio applications.